The New Dark Age

In an increasingly polarised age, culture wars are everywhere. They are often criticised as superficial or confected disagreements designed to distract us from more important issues. Is this true, or are they rather more fundamental than that? In this thoughtful and passionate intervention, renowned theologian and moral philosopher Nigel Biggar argues that ‘culture wars’ are in fact political and moral debates that cut to the very quick of some of the most substantial questions of our time, ranging from the welfare of children to the way we conceive and manage ethnic and cultural differences in diverse societies. The fact that these debates are so often characterised by bad faith, dishonesty and mindless abuse exposes the rot at the heart of the intellectual culture of the west, both in universities, the media and beyond. An authoritarian desire to suppress or smear opponents and exercise the power of intimidation and coercion is a dramatic illustration of a dangerous reality: our fragile and valuable liberal culture of rational truth-seeking and good faith civility is under threat. A new dark age looms. Mixing first-hand experience with broad ethical, political and cultural reflection, this is a powerful and erudite polemic from one of our most respected thinkers. No-one interested in the future of western civilization can afford to miss it. In an increasingly polarised age, culture wars are everywhere. They are often criticised as superficial or confected disagreements designed to distract us from more important issues. Is this true, or are they rather more fundamental than that? In this thoughtful and passionate intervention, renowned theologian and moral philosopher Nigel Biggar argues that ‘culture wars’ are in fact political and moral debates that cut to the very quick of some of the most substantial questions of our time, ranging from the welfare of children to the way we conceive and manage ethnic and cultural differences in diverse societies. The fact that these debates are so often characterised by bad faith, dishonesty and mindless abuse exposes the rot at the heart of the intellectual culture of the west, both in universities, the media and beyond. An authoritarian desire to suppress or smear opponents and exercise the power of intimidation and coercion is a dramatic illustration of a dangerous reality: our fragile and valuable liberal culture of rational truth-seeking and good faith civility is under threat. A new dark age looms. Mixing first-hand experience with broad ethical, political and cultural reflection, this is a powerful and erudite polemic from one of our most respected thinkers. No-one interested in the future of western civilization can afford to miss it.